JPS61158460A - Ink vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make possible the ink to be used without uselessness and the number of times of the exchange thereof to be reduced and a production thereof to be made easy, by making an elastic plate member as an integral configuration with the former is secured on the upper outside wall of the ink receiving bag storing the ink being sealed in the inside thereof constituted by a flexible membrane. CONSTITUTION:The upper side of a projection 13A is pressed down by a flat section 19B of an elastic plate member 19 through a flexible membrane 12A on the upper side of an ink receiving bag when a remaining amount of the ink in the ink receiving bag is reduced. But, the greater part of the remaining ink in the ink receiving bag 12A is flowed in the ink reservoir disposed inside of a connecting member 13 through a groove section 13B and can be used until the end thereof effectively, since the groove 13B is provided on the upper side of the connection member 13. Thereby, a defect such that there was much amount of remaining ink in a ink vessel can be removed, and the cheap ink having little trouble can be obtained.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial Use Minute Hand] The present invention is a device that supplies ink to a recording device such as an inkjet recording device or a pen recorder, which forms an image by jetting or discharging recording ink from a nozzle and depositing it on a recording medium. This relates to an ink container to be refilled. [Prior Art] As devices that form images by depositing ink onto a recording medium, there are Ben recorders that supply ink from an ink bottle to a pen tip and record data, and ink that is ejected from a nozzle to form an image on a recording medium. There is an inkjet recording device that forms an ink dot image thereon. An ink sheet recording device records characters, figures, etc. on recording paper by ejecting small droplets of ink from a narrow nozzle. In this case, high-quality characters,
In order to draw figures, etc., fine ink droplets of equal diameter must be ejected regularly and intermittently. In order for these ink droplets to fly smoothly and to stably draw characters, figures, etc. on recording paper, the properties of the ink itself must be sufficiently uniform and stable. However, at the same time, it is necessary to sufficiently prevent air bubbles from being mixed into the ink. A sealed ink container is used as an ink supply device in an ink jet recording apparatus in order to keep the ink in a stable state without exposing it to the outside air. A highly airtight bag is used for this ink container, or the container is filled to prevent air from entering. Generally, an ink container is an ink cartridge that can be attached to and removed from a receiver of a recording device, and can be replenished with new ink by replacing the ink cartridge. Among the above-mentioned ink cartridges, in a conventional sealed type ink cartridge that supplies ink using hydrostatic pressure, the entire bag containing the ink is made of a willow membrane. In an ink storage bag using such a flexible membrane, the entire flexible layer deforms irregularly, so the entire amount of ink in the ink storage bag cannot be used up, and unused ink remains in the bag. This has the drawback of being wasted, which is a practical problem. FIG. 19 shows an example of such a conventionally used ink cartridge. The ink cartridge is in housing 1,
A flexible ink storage bag 2 that stores ink 3 inside the housing 1, and a flexible ink storage bag 2 that is coupled to the ink storage bag 2 and leads the ink to an external recording head (not shown) of an inkjet recording device. It consists of an ink deriving section 4. By inserting the ink outlet tube 5 connected to the ink supply tube 6 connected to the recording head into the ink outlet section 4, the ink 3 in the ink storage bag 2 is transferred to the ink outlet tube 5,
The ink is supplied into the recording head through the ink supply tube 6. However, in such a conventional ink cartridge, the ink storage bag 2 gradually shrinks as ink is used, and as shown in FIG. 4, ink remains in the bag 2 at several locations. This makes it difficult to use the remaining ink, making it uneconomical. Further, in the conventional ink cartridge, the ink storage bag 2 is not fixed to the housing 1 except in the vicinity of the ink outlet portion 4. When vibration or impact is applied to such an ink cartridge during transportation or during an ink cartridge replacement operation, the ink storage bag 2 is easily moved from a predetermined position inside the housing 1. As a result, a relative force is applied to the ink outlet section 4 fixed to the housing 1 and the moving ink storage bag, and the joint between the ink outlet section 4 of the ink storage bag 2 is torn and the ink is released. There was the inconvenience of leakage. Particularly when a large external force is applied to the housing 1, such as by dropping or overturning the ink cartridge, the ink storage bag 2 may be The inside of the housing 1 is strongly hit against the inner wall of the housing, and in addition, an unreasonable force is applied to the ink outlet portion 4, causing an accident in which the ink storage bag 2 ruptures. Furthermore, if the ink storage bag 2 moves inside the housing 1 as described above when the ink in the ink storage bag 2 has been consumed to some extent, the ink storage bag 2 will move as shown in FIG. There is a drawback that the ink may be bent and sip, and as a result, the ink cannot be drawn out to the end, and the ink remains and is wasted. As a proposal for solving these problems, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-1
An ink cartridge shown in Japanese Patent No. 8266 is known. In this method, a flat ink storage bag for storing ink is directly adhered to the inner wall of a sealed housing. However, this method has problems such as poor adhesive and fixing workability, difficulty in positioning and fixing accurately, and poor productivity. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] All of the above-mentioned conventional techniques are based on the premise that as ink is consumed, the shape of the ink storage bag changes, contracts, and becomes thinner. However, although such deformation of the ink storage bag depends on the hardness of the flexible membrane of the bag, it is generally accompanied by considerable irregularity, so that high reproducibility and reliability cannot be expected. That is, even if the ink supply capacity of the ink storage bag ran out, the remaining ink amount detection device did not operate, and the recording head continued to consume ink, causing the nozzles to absorb air bubbles and preventing normal printing. In order to avoid such a 'SR', the system is designed and adjusted so that the remaining capacity is activated while the remaining capacity is still large, with safety in mind. However, due to the aforementioned irregularities, depending on the material and dimensions of the bag, 20% to 40% of the amount of ink when the bag is filled becomes unusable and is thrown away along with the ink cartridge, which is uneconomical. Furthermore, if the printer is installed at an angle, the ink will tend to one lower side of the ink storage bag, which also contributes to an increase in the remaining amount that is wasted. [Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention eliminates these conventional drawbacks, ensures stable and reliable supply of ink to the recording head, and reduces the amount of unusable ink remaining. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink container that can be used without waste, is replaced less often, and is easy to manufacture. The ink container of the present invention, which achieves the above object, has an elastic plate-like member fixed to the outer wall of the upper surface of the flat bag-shaped ink storage bag which is made of a flexible membrane and seals and stores ink inside. Alternatively, it can be made into an integrally molded form, which is a clever feature. The elastic plate-shaped portion is formed so as to raise a part of the upper surface of the ink storage bag upward.
Furthermore, if necessary, a portion of this elastic plate-like member is provided with a remaining ink amount detecting means. [Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the example shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an ink supply device to which the present invention can be applied. FIG. 1(A) shows an ink container (ink cartridge), and FIG. 1(B) shows a receiving part connectable to the ink container. show. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a state in which the ink container is connected to a receiving portion. Further, FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the ink storage bag unit in the ink container, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A'. 4 and 5 are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view of the ink storage bag unit. ink container

[O is composed of a rigid housing 11, an ink storage bag 12 made of a flexible film, an ink outlet section, an ink remaining amount detection section, and a waste liquid storage section. Housing 1] has a side wall 11A, a partition plate 1]B, and a top lid 11C1.
It is assembled and formed from the bottom plate 11D, and has a two-layered structure, upper and lower, with the upper chamber and lower chamber separated from each other to form an airtight structure. Further, at the top of the side wall 11A, there is an opening uE that communicates with an external pump that supplies and exhausts air to the upper chamber to pressurize or depressurize it, and at the bottom, there is an opening uE for introducing waste ink into the lower chamber. An opening 11F and an intake opening 11G are provided, respectively. The ink storage bag is made of a flexible film that airtightly encloses recording ink and stores the ink while maintaining hydrostatic pressure. This ink storage bag is made of a single thin film such as polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene, nylon, polypropylene, cellophane, or a composite laminate made of a combination of these materials. For example, a three-layer laminated film in which a polyvinylidene chloride film is coated on both sides with polyethylene or the like, or a three-layer laminated film in which a polyvinylidene chloride film is laminated with a nylon film and a polyethylene film is used. The ink storage bag 12 is made of a thin material with low gas permeability, barrier properties, no chemical changes with the ink, no elution of weighting agents, and is stable and flexible. A film is selected. This kind of thin film is folded and overlapped to form the opening at the periphery.
One or four sides are joined by heat fusion or the like to form a flat shape, thereby forming nine flexible bag-shaped ink storage units. A connecting member (septum housing) 13 made of resin such as polyethylene or metal such as stainless steel is fitted into a part of the bottom of the ink storage bag 12 into the opening of the ink storage bag 12 and is adhesively fixed by thermal bonding or the like. ing. A septum 14 made of an elastic material such as butyl rubber, butadiene rubber, imprene rubber, silicone rubber, acrylic rubber, etc. is fitted into the inside of the coupling member 13, and a cap 15 is inserted into the coupling member 13.
The lid is screwed in and closed. Further, a rigid flat plate 16 is fitted between the outer wall surface of the ink storage bag 12 and the inner wall surface of the housing 11. The flat plate 16 is a transparent thin plate material such as plastic, and has an opening 16A in which the coupling portion 13 is inserted. The flat plate 16 is made of, for example, a vinyl chloride plate, an acrylic plate, or a pyricarbonate plate, and has a thickness of about 1 mm, and is adhered to the ink storage bag 12B as necessary. In this way, the flexible film 12B on the lower surface (bottom side) of the ink storage bag 12 has the seven rungs of the coupling member 13 bonded to its inner wall surface, and the flat plate 16 bonded to its outer wall surface with double-sided tape or the like to form an integral structure. is doing. The above integrated ink storage bag 1
2. After inserting the coupling member 13 and the flat plate 16 into the opening at the bottom of the housing 11, insert the septum 14 into the coupling member 13 and screw it in with the cap 15.
4 is closed and fixed to the housing 11. Further, the vicinity of the ink outlet portion of the flat plate 16 is fixed to the bottom surface of the casing 11 by pressure bonding by the coupling member 13 and the cap 15, and the other flat surface is fixed to the bottom surface of the casing 11 by this pressure bonding force and the weight of the ink storage bag 12 and ink. Being pressed. Since the ink storage bag 12 is thus joined and fixed by the connecting member 13 and the flat plate 16, it will not move inside the housing 11 due to external force. Here, the coupling member 13 also serves as a support for fixing the ink storage bag 12 to the housing 11. Incidentally, since the flat plate 16 is not fixed to the housing 11 with any adhesive, the ink storage bag 1 is integrated with the flat plate 16.
2. The coupling member 13 is formed into a unit, and this ink storage bag unit is detachably attached to the housing 11. The lower chamber of the housing 11 of the ink container IO is a sealed chamber, and communicates with the outside via the openings 11F and IIG. A waste liquid absorbing member 17 such as a porous spongy member for absorbing waste ink is inserted into this lower chamber to form a waste liquid storage chamber. The waste liquid absorbing member 17 is made of polymer foam.
Use polymer absorbent material, sponge, cellulose sponge, natural sponge, etc. In addition to a cylindrical opening into which the coupling member 13 is fitted, the lower chamber is formed with a cylindrical guide 18 into which a remaining ink amount detection member, which will be described later, is fitted. The upper part of this guide 18 is connected to the opening 111 of the housing 110. On the other hand, an elastic plate member 19 is attached and fixed to the outer surface of the flexible film 12A on the upper surface of the ink storage bag 12. For example, the elastic plate member 19 has a substantially T-shape as shown in FIG. 5, and has a reflecting portion 19M integrated at an upper position corresponding to a photodetecting element (sensor) of a remaining ink amount detecting member, which will be described later. The reflective portion 19M may be formed by mirror-plating the elastic plate member 19, or by adhering a thin metal film such as aluminum foil. The plate-shaped arms of the book are extending.One arm 1
9A reaches near the upper part of the coupling member 13 of the ink outlet section. The end of this arm portion 19A is a wide flat plate portion 19.
B, and this portion is shaped to cover the upper protrusion 13A of the coupling member (septum housing) 13. Therefore, when the amount of ink remaining in the ink storage bag decreases, the flat plate portion 19B of the elastic plate member 19 moves toward the protrusion 13 via the flexible film 12A on the upper surface of the ink storage bag 12.
Press the top surface of A. However, since the groove 13B is provided above the coupling member 13, the ink storage bag 12
Most of the remaining ink in the coupling member 13 flows through the groove 13B into the ink reservoir in the coupling member 13, and the ink can be effectively used up until near the end. Here, due to the presence of the plate member 19A, the upper surface membrane 12A of the ink storage bag cannot approach the lower surface membrane 12B more than a certain degree, and this portion remains as an ink passage until the end. The ink in this area starts to be consumed only after the ink in other peripheral areas is used up. At this time, due to the elasticity of the plate member 19A, the plate member 19A begins to curve, and the ink in this portion is also taken out. An arm portion 19 extends from the vicinity of the reflecting portion 19M to both wings in the width direction of the ink storage bag hill, perpendicular to the arm portion 19A.
C is integral with the arm portion 19A. The image tips of the arm portions 19C are each formed with a leg portion 19D bent into a “F” shape. The lower side of the elastic plate member 19, that is, the portion in contact with the flexible membrane 12A, is coated with adhesive. The flexible membrane 12A is coated with an agent or double-sided adhesive tape is applied, and is tightly bonded to a predetermined position of the flexible membrane 12A.The hatched portion 9j-12C on the flexible membrane 12A in FIG. 5 indicates this tightly bonded portion. On the other hand, the ink receiving part (sceptacle) 20 is composed of a base 21 for receiving the bottom plate 11D of the casing 11 of the ink container 10, an ink leading part, and a light detecting part. The part is the coupling member 13 of the ink container tO.
A tubular needle n that penetrates the septum 14 in the interior and communicates with the ink chamber 13C in the coupling member 13, a holding portion 21A that holds the tubular needle n, and 1. and an ink supply tube connected to a tubular needle n. In addition, the photodetection section is a reflective photodetection element (photosensor or photo7rector) consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving element.
24 and a transparent (transparent at least to the main wavelength used by the photodetecting element) dustproof plate 5 above the sensor holder, and the sensor holder holds the push-up coil spring n. It consists of a holding part 21B. These photodetecting members, the opening 11H1 guide 18 of the housing 11 of the ink container 10, and the reflecting plate 19M constitute an ink remaining amount detection section. When the ink container 10 is installed and coupled on the receiver 21, the needle tube n passes through the inceptum 14 and is inserted into the ink chamber 13C of the coupling member 13, as shown in FIG. The ink in 12 is led out through a tubular needle n1 and an ink supply tube n to supply ink to the ink jet head. Simultaneously with the above coupling, the photodetector is also coupled. That is, the sensor holder is fitted into the guide 18, and the dust-proof slab comes into contact with the airtight transparent window 11H, and is pressed by the coil spring n. In this state, the light emitted from the light emitting element of the photodetector element is transmitted to the dustproof plate 5, the transparent window 11H1, the transparent flat plate 16,
The ink passes through the flexible film 12B on the lower side of the transparent ink storage bag 12, passes through the inside of the ink, passes through the flexible film 12A on the upper side of the ink storage bag 12, is reflected by the reflection plate 19M, and is reflected again by the reflective plate 19M. The light follows an optical path almost reverse to that described above and enters the light receiving element of the photodetecting element. Note that transparent here refers to being transparent to the effective wavelength of the photodetecting element. For example, if an infrared light element is used, black ink is opaque to visible light but transparent to infrared light. FIGS. 6(1), (2), (3), and (4) are diagrams showing the progress of ink consumption by the ink container of the present invention, and (1)
a), (2a), (3a), and (4a) are cross-sectional views in the same direction as FIG. 3(a); (1b), (2b), (3b), (
4b) is a sectional view taken in the same direction as FIG. 3(b). Figures 6 (1a) and (1b) show a state where there is sufficient ink in the ink storage bag, and the light projected from the light emitting element of the photodetector is reflected by the mirror-like reflection plate 19M and received. incident on the element. At this time, the leg portion 19D of the elastic plate member 19, which is integral with the reflection plate 19M, is suspended in the air. Eventually, as ink consumption progresses, the ink storage bag 12 contracts, the upper flexible member g 12 A descends, and the elastic plate member 19 integrally bonded thereto also sinks together with the flexible film 12 A. It's coming. And the leg portion 19 of the elastic plate member 19
D also connects the bottom part 11 of the housing 11 through the ink storage bag 12 B
(Figures 2a and 2b). As ink consumption further progresses and the ink in the ink storage bag 2 decreases, the flexible film 12 A on the top surface of the ink storage bag 12
The central portion of the flexible membrane 12 cannot be deformed because it is bonded to the elastic plate member 19, and the other non-bonded peripheral portion of the flexible membrane 12
D is sinking < (Figures 3a and 3b). That is, the flexible membrane 12A is pulled upward near the center. In the vicinity of the connecting member 13, the elastic plate portion 1
Although the flat plate portion 19B of 9 contacts the protrusion 13A at the upper end of the coupling member 13 via the flexible membrane 12A, the ink remaining in the ink storage bag 12 continues to be absorbed by the groove 1 of the coupling member 13.
3B and flows into the ink chamber 13C to supply ink. In this state, the part that is pulled up to 19 has
Since a force is generated to suck ink from the periphery, ink consumption starts from the periphery and gradually sinks toward the center. Even if an isolated portion such as 3 is about to occur, the isolated portion will be dissolved due to the suction force, and no isolated portion will remain. Eventually, when the ink in the peripheral part of the ink storage bag 12 is almost completely used up and ink can no longer be sucked from the peripheral part, the flexible membrane 12A supported by the arm part 19C of the elastic plate member 19 is removed. The central part also started to sink and the arm part 19
C curves into a concave shape. When the ink in the ink storage bag 12 is completely used up, the surface of the reflective plate 19M lands on the flat plate 16 at the center of the arm portion 19C of the elastic plate member 19 via the flexible films 12A and 12B. As the ink storage bag 12 undergoes such deformation, a certain portion of the reflection plate 12M has conventionally moved unstably, and the correlation with the remaining amount of ink has also been irregular. FIG. 7 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the remaining amount of ink and the output voltage of the photodetecting element (sensor) 24. In the figure, curve a shows the conventional characteristics; the sensor output voltage with respect to the remaining amount of ink is unstable, and exceeds the threshold value C while there is a large amount of ink remaining (e), causing an alarm, etc. It will be done. Moreover, if this warning is ignored and ink consumption continues, the ink may fall below the threshold again as shown in f. Moreover, the curve b itself was not reproducible, and a different curve was drawn for each ink storage bag, and when the same ink storage bag was used repeatedly, a different curve was drawn each time. For this reason, the value e of the remaining ink amount when the operating level (threshold value) C of the ink remaining amount detection device is exceeded is not constant, and the remaining ink level at which the remaining amount alarm is generated varies, for example, from 5% to 40% of the full amount. It varied widely between %. On the other hand, in the ink container of the present invention, the song 1fs in FIG.
As shown by a, the sensor output level is low as long as there is a sufficient amount of ink remaining, and then rises rapidly when the remaining ink amount becomes small. In addition, the reproducibility of this curve a is good, with almost no fluctuations or variations. Therefore, the remaining ink amount d when the remaining ink detection device operates is small, and the reproducibility is also good. Therefore, there is no need to allow much safety margin for the ink remaining amount detection operation level due to instability, and since it can be set to the very limit, the need for replacing ink containers is small and the system is highly economical. Moreover, even if an inkjet printer using the ink container of the present invention is installed at an angle, the ink remaining amount characteristics are hardly affected. According to experiments, 30 printers
Even if the printer is tilted by 900 degrees, there is no change in the level C at which the ink level detection device operates, and even if the printer is tilted by 900 degrees (although the printer is not actually used in this condition), the remaining ink level detection level C The impact was extremely small. According to experiments, for an ink storage bag with a filling level of 60cc, in conventional ink containers, the final remaining amount at which the frame structure operates varies between 3cc and 25cc, and the average is about 15 to 20cc. Not only was the final amount remaining large, but the reproducibility was extremely poor, and the average value changed by 5 to cc just by tilting the bag 3 degrees. However, with the ink container of the present invention, the final remaining amount could always be stably maintained at 3 to 4 cc. Furthermore, even when the printer was tilted by about 15 degrees, there was no effect at all. Furthermore, in the conventional method, high manufacturing precision was required for the ink storage bag and its surroundings in order to reduce error factors, but with the ink container of the present invention, even if the precision is considerably reduced (the conventional method is ±0.5 Now it doesn't matter if I change the key to about ±2x). In addition, in conventional ink containers, residual ink remains in the corners of the ink storage bag and cannot be taken out, but in the present invention, at the end of ink consumption, the portions below the reflective portion 19M, the arm portion 19A, and the flat plate portion 19B are always removed. The ink remains,
Ink is consumed first from other parts, and finally 19A,
The ink in the lower part of 19B and 19M will be used. Therefore, the lower part of 19A, 19B, and 119M becomes a place where ink accumulates, and the remaining ink at the end is also 1
9 M-19A-19B route connects all connecting members 1
The ink flows into the ink chamber 13C of No. 3, and is sent out to the recording head via the tubular needle n and the ink supply pipe n, so that no ink is wasted. FIG. 8 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the amount of ink remaining in the ink storage bag and the hydraulic pressure of the ink inside the recording head supplied from the ink storage bag 12. As shown in the figure, as the remaining amount of ink decreases, the liquid pressure of ink within the recording head conventionally gradually decreases as shown by curve l1liIa. On the other hand, if the ink container of the present invention is used, the song s
As shown in Fig. b, it is possible to maintain a substantially constant hydraulic pressure until the remaining amount of ink becomes extremely low, so fluctuations in the hydraulic pressure are considerably less than in the conventional system. The risk of jetting failure due to air bubbles being sucked into the nozzles of the recording head increases as the liquid pressure decreases, but with the present invention, the remaining ink level at the same liquid pressure is much lower than with conventional systems. This allows you to use up the ink more effectively. For example, Figure 8 shows OO from the ink storage bag to the recording head.
This is a case where ink is supplied at a rate of 4 cc/min, but if it is possible to use up to -20 CIl Ink, conventionally 18 cc was left unusable, but in the present invention, 6 cc
All you have to do is leave the . As the elastic plate member 19, for example, the inventors obtained good results using a phosphor bronze plate (C5210P, thickness 0.2 m), but the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of phosphor bronze plates may be used. Alternatively, a stainless steel plate, an aluminum alloy plate, a brass plate, a PVC plate, a nylon plate, a Sheracon plate, a polypropylene plate, etc. can also be used. Note that when using something other than a metal plate, it is necessary to attach or vapor deposit an aluminum alloy plate or the like on the reflective plate 19M. In addition, in the past, in order to take out the ink sufficiently, measures were taken, such as making a porous chain snake inside the bag, but this had the drawback that the materials were expensive and the manufacturing process was more labor-intensive. It is highly reliable and reliable, and it is now possible to take out a sufficient amount of ink with just a mouthful. Regarding the elastic plate member 19, unless the material selection and dimensions are designed so that it has appropriate springiness, the effects of the present invention may not be sufficiently obtained, or conversely, the elastic plate members 19A, 19B, 1
The ink in the 9M section cannot be removed or becomes unavailable. In addition, the photodetection element (sensor) 24 is not limited to the 7-ray 7rector, but also detects the height of the part of the reflection plate 19M or the thickness of the ink layer, such as a magnet, a Hall element (magnetic sensing element), and a photointerrupter. Anything is possible as long as it is possible. Alternatively, a detection method using a microswitch and an actuator can also be used. Further, as the adhesive, for example, 5cotch 46B type double-sided tape manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd. can be used, as it has strong adhesive strength, is highly durable, and is resistant to changes in environmental conditions. Note that the elastic plate member 19 was stopped near the coupling member 13 using the protrusion 13 A at the upper end of the coupling member 13;
If this protrusion is not present, a protrusion may be provided on the elastic member 19 side to serve as a stopper. FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an ink container showing another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 shows the ink storage bag unit taken out from the housing of this ink container. ) is a perspective view of. Also the first
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the ink storage bag unit. In these figures, the same reference numerals are given to the same structural parts as in FIGS. 1 to 5. The space between the ink containers in this embodiment is composed of an ink storage bag unit and a housing. The ink storage bag unit includes the ink storage bag 12, a coupling member 13, and a septum 14.
, cap 15, transparent flat plate 16 and elastic plate member 32
It consists of An elastic plate member 32 is adhered and fixed to the outer surface of the flexible membrane 12A on the upper surface of the ink storage bag. Elastic plate member 3
2 is a rectangular elastic thin plate;
It is made of the same metal or plastic as the elastic plate member 19. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the elastic plate member 32, and the hatched areas indicate areas to which adhesive has been applied or double-sided adhesive tape has been applied. FIG. 12 (1) shows an example in which almost the entire surface of the elastic plate member 320 except for both ends 32E is used as an adhesive surface, and 32M is provided at an upper position corresponding to the photodetecting element array of the remaining ink level detecting member. It is a mirror-finished reflective section, and is either mirror-finished or has a reflective plate attached to it. An adhesive material may be applied to this portion as long as the adhesive material is transparent to the effective wavelength of the photodetector. FIG. 12 (2) shows the above elastic plate member! This figure shows another example of the adhesive surface pattern. In the figure, 32A, 3
2D is the adhesive surface near both ends of the elastic plate member, 32
B is the adhesive surface of the portion corresponding to the upper position of the connecting member 13;
32C is an adhesive surface around the reflective portion 32M. Above 4
By making the adhesive surface dispersed in several places, as the ink storage bag 12 deforms and curves as the ink in the ink storage bag 12 is consumed, compared to Figure (1) where the entire surface is adhered.
It is possible to prevent ink from remaining in the ink storage bag 12 due to wrinkles or kinks. Note that the elastic plate member 32 is connected to the upper membrane 12 of the ink storage bag,
In the case where the elastic plate member is made transparent, aluminum tape or the like may be attached to the reflective portion 32M from the top surface of the excrement. On the other hand, left and right support parts 31A are fixedly installed inside the casing 31 between the ink containers. An elastic plate member 320 integral with the ink storage bag 12 is provided on the upper surface of the support portion 31A.
Both end portions 32E are mounted, and the ink storage bag unit is set within the housing 31. In this state, the ink storage bag 12
The upper flexible membrane 12A is suspended by the elastic plate member 32. The functions and effects of the ink container having such a shape are almost the same as those of the previous embodiment. Incidentally, instead of the above-mentioned elastic plate member 32 shaped like a plate spring, a coil spring may be used to lift the ink storage bag at a predetermined position. Next, FIGS. 13 and 14 are a sectional view and a perspective view of an ink container used in a color inkjet recording apparatus and the like. In these figures, 33Y. 33M, 33C, and 33 have cyan, magenta, and
This is an ink storage bag unit that stores ink of each color, yellow and black, and supplies ink to the recording head through four ink tubes for each color. These ink storage bag units 33Y, 33M%33C1
The above-mentioned elastic plate members are adhered to the upper sides of 33, respectively. Both ends 32 of these four elastic plate members
g is placed on and held on the upper surface of the support portion 34A that protrudes inward between the casings. The ink container of the present invention having such a large number of ink storage bag units also exhibits the same functions and effects as described above, greatly reduces the amount of remaining ink at the end, and has excellent hydraulic characteristics. Figure 15 shows four ink storage bag units 33 inside the housing.
Y, 33M, 33C, 33K are installed inside, and the elastic plate member 32
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an ink container in which the ink containers are arranged in parallel. This ink container is an ink container for a color inkjet recording apparatus characterized in that an ink outlet section having a coupling member 13 and a reflecting plate section 32M are arranged in one row. FIG. 16 is a plan view showing still another embodiment of the ink storage bag unit of the ink container according to the present invention. This is an improved version of the elastic plate member 19 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. The elastic plate member A in this embodiment includes a wide flat main frame 36A connecting the upper parts of the coupling member (septum housing) 13 and the photodetecting element (sensor) 24, and a narrow main frame 36A that is elastically deformable and perpendicular to the main frame 36A. It consists of an arm portion 36B. It is desirable that the flexible films 12A, 12B and the reflecting plate 36M above the photodetecting element array become horizontal when the amount of ink remaining in the ink storage bag becomes low. In the final state of ink consumption, it becomes horizontal and it is possible to accurately detect the end of the remaining amount of ink. FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram of an ink container of still another embodiment. For example, if the ink cartridge (ink supply tank) is very large or has a very elongated shape,
Furthermore, if the ink supply tank has a cylindrical shape, it is strictly prohibited to apply the device of the present invention directly to the ink supply tank. In this case, as shown in FIG. 17, a branch (for example, a three-way connector) 42 is provided in the middle of the ink supply path from the ink supply tank 41 to the recording head 40, and the ink supply path from there is connected via an ink tube 43 as shown in FIG. 1 or 9. It is preferable to provide an ink container material having a remaining ink amount detection device such as the one shown in FIG. In this case, it is preferable to arrange the ink container material at a slightly lower level than the ink cartridge 41. By doing so, the ink in the branch ink container material starts to be consumed after the ink in the ink supply tank 41 is used up, so that the final remaining amount of ink in the ink supply tank can be minimized. Further, in order to reliably reduce the remaining amount of the ink supply tank, it is preferable to set the ink outlet side of the ink supply tank 41 at a lower level than the other end. This makes it possible to suppress the amount of ink remaining in the ink supply tank 41 to a sufficiently low level. Furthermore, with this configuration, the ink in the ink container 4 will not be replaced as the ink is consumed, but will remain in this unit. Even when the remaining ink amount detection device operates, only a portion of the ink is replaced, and most of the ink remains. For this reason, there is a risk that the ink inside the ink storage bag of this unit may deteriorate over time. If such ink flows into the recording head, it will interfere with normal recording. On the other hand, if the arrangement is as shown in FIG. 17, the problem of ink stagnation can be solved. That is, instead of branching at the three-way connector 42 as shown in FIG. 16, the two ink tubes 45 and 46 are inserted into the ink storage bag 47, and the two ink tubes 45 and 46 are not connected to the ink storage bag 47. The bags 47 are made to extend in opposite directions. 2 ink tubes 45
, 46 are connected to an ink cartridge 41 and a recording head, respectively. With such a configuration, there is no possibility of property deterioration due to ink retention. In addition, since the 72 ink chains are inserted through one nozzle, the septum housing (coupling member) needs to be installed in only one place, compared to two separate places in the ink storage bag, making it cheaper. It is economical, as the installation process only needs to be done once. In the above explanation, a photodetection element is used as a means for detecting the remaining amount of ink, but other non-contact detection means for detecting the response of the flexible membrane of the ink storage bag may also be used. The same effect can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above detailed explanation, in the present invention, in order to detect the residual ink in the ink storage bag, an elastic plate member having appropriate elasticity is attached to the ink storage bag. By bonding it to the top surface and using a means to detect the movement of the ink storage bag, it is possible to effectively absorb ink from residual ink around the ink storage bag and send it to the ink outlet. , it is possible to eliminate the disadvantage of a large amount of ink remaining in conventional ink containers, and furthermore, because the structure is simple, it is cheaper than conventional ink containers, has fewer failures, and has excellent reliability and durability. It has become possible to provide an ink container having highly accurate ink remaining amount detection means.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the ink container and receiving portion of an ink supply device to which the present invention is applied, separated, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ink storage bag unit, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view of the ink storage bag unit. FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the progress of ink consumption by the ink container of the present invention. 7 and 8 are ink remaining amount characteristic diagrams. FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an ink container according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views and exploded perspective views of the ink storage bag unit, and FIG. 12 is an elastic plate member used therein. FIG. 13 and 14 are a sectional view and a perspective view of an ink container for a color printer according to still another embodiment of the present invention. 15 and 16 are plan views of still another embodiment, and FIGS. 17 and 18 are sectional views S of the embodiment in which a large ink cartridge is used. FIG. 19 and the additional drawings are cross-sectional views of a conventional ink container. 10, 14... Ink container 1. ．． 11, 34. 35... Housing 2, 12
, 33... Ink storage bags 12A, 12B.
...Flexible membrane 13 ...... Connection member (
(7) Septum housing) 14...Septum 16...Transparent flat plate 19, 32, 36...Elastic plate member 19M
, 32M...Reflector 24...
...Photodetection element (sensor) agent Patent attorney No 1
) Parent-in-lawFigure 9Figure 10Figure 11Figure 12Figure 17Figure 19Figure 20

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) An elastic plate member is fixed to the outer wall of the upper surface of the flat bag-shaped ink storage bag that is made of a flexible membrane and seals and stores ink inside, or is integrated into the bag. An ink container featuring: (2) The ink container according to claim 1, wherein the elastic plate member is formed to have the effect of lifting a portion of the upper surface of the ink storage bag upward. (3) A portion of the elastic plate member is provided with ink remaining amount detection means for detecting deformation or displacement of the flexible membrane of the ink storage bag. The ink container described in section. (4) An ink cartridge that communicates with the ink container and is removable by a connector is separately provided above the ink container provided with the remaining ink amount detection means. The ink container according to any one of items 1 to 3. (5) An ink introduction pipe and an ink outlet pipe are inserted into the ink storage bag of the ink container to circulate the ink in the ink storage bag to prevent ink from stagnation. The ink container according to item 4.